The tombstone, or grave marker, underwent much the same
type of transformation as the cemetery did. The graveyards changed from the
crowded churchyards and charnel houses to the tranquil, park-like settings of
the early 1900’s. Tombstones also started out as crude items that were used
more because of superstition than for remembrance of the dead.

The first grave markers were literally stones and boulders
that were used to keep the dead from rising out of their graves. It was
thought, in these primitive times, that if heavy rocks were placed on the
grave sites of the deceased, they would not be able to climb out from
underneath them. As time went on, a need came for the living to mark the
graves of the dead with a reminder of about the person who was buried there.
Many of the markers were made from wood, or rough stone, and did not last long
when exposed to the elements.

Early monuments and grave stones in Europe and in old New
England were crude and were carved with frightening motifs like winged skulls,
skeletons and angels of death. The idea was to frighten the living with the
very idea of death. In this way, they were apt to live a more righteous life
after seeing the images of decay and horror on the markers of the dead. It
would not be until the latter part of the 1800’s that scenes of eternal
peace would replace those of damnation.

Eventually, grave markers, monuments and tombs became a
craft, as well as an art form. In those days, many brick layers and
masons began to take up side jobs as gravestone carvers but soon
demand became so great that companies formed to meet the needs of this
new trade. Stone work companies formed all over the country,
especially in Vermont, where a huge supply of granite was readily
available. Many stones and monuments that were carved and cut in
Vermont were done by Scottish and Italian immigrants. The most
delicate carving was done by the Italians though. As children, many of
them had trained in Milan, going to school at night to be carvers.
Despite the thousands of statues and mausoleums that were created,
only a few dozen carvers could handle the most intricate work.

The peak for the new funeral industry and for graveyard art and
mausoleums came in the last part of the 1800’s, the Victorian era.
During these years, American cemeteries were packed with massive and
beautiful statues and tombs. This was a time when maudlin excess and
ornamentation was greatly in fashion. Funerals were extremely
important to the Victorians, as were fashionable graves and
mausoleums. The skull and crossbones tombstones had all but vanished
by this time and now cemeteries had become very survivor-friendly. ...
and of course, heartbreakingly sad.

Early grave markers were filled with dark
symbols and images of death and horror.

Scantily dressed mourners carved from stone now guarded the
doors of the tombs and angels draped themselves over monuments in agonizing
despair. The excessive ornamentation turned the graveyards into a showplace
for the rich and the prestigious. Many of them became inundated with artwork
and crowded with crypts as the society folk attempted to outdo one another.
Gaudy and maudlin artwork like furniture, carved flowers and life-size (and
larger) statues dominated the landscape. Realistic representations of the dead
began to appear, as did novelty monuments like that of the Di Salvo family in
Chicago’s Mount Carmel Cemetery. This marker portrays the entire family on a
round dais... that spins 360 degrees!

A seemingly heartbroken angel drapes
herself in despair over the grave of the deceased.

The gravestones themselves have proven to be just as
fascinating to cemetery enthusiasts. As mentioned previously, the
earliest American stones were copies of the old European ones with
skulls, crossbones and death’s heads decorating their surfaces. Later,
carvings on the stone began to represent the grief of the family and
began to make a statement about the life of the person buried beneath
it. As time passed, even the plainest of illustrations began to take on
a new significance.

A variety of different images were used to symbolize
both death and life, like angels, who were seen as the emissaries
between this world and the next. In some cases they appeared as mourners
and on other graves, as an offer of comfort for those who are left
behind.

Broken columns, inverted torches, spilled flower pots and
funeral urns were meant as simple images of lives that were ended too soon.
Some graves were marked with the image of an hour glass with wings that
represented the fleeting passage of time or with ferns and anchors that were
meant to give hope to grieving loved ones. Much the same can be said of
clasped hands, bibles and pointing fingers. These symbols direct the mourners
to look toward heaven and know that the worries of the world are now past.

Flowers, like roses or lilies, were common symbols that
represented love and purity or that life is like a blooming flower, never
meant to be permanent. There are other monuments where depictions of discarded
clothing, opened books or forgotten tools have been etched or carved. Such
items are meant to symbolize the fact that the dead have left behind the
burdens of life. The depiction of wheat or a sickle would show the reaping of
the soul and the gathering of the harvest to the next world.

Suns, moons, planets and stars have various meanings in the
cemetery, from that of rising saints to that of glorified souls. They can also
signify that heaven is the abode of the stars and the planets.

Trees, and most especially the famous “willow tree”
motif, stood for human life and the fact that man, like a tree, must reach for
the heavens. The willow itself often stood for mourning. Trees could also have
other meanings, especially when the monuments were made to look like wood.
Cemetery visitors can often find examples of chairs, centerpieces and even
entire monuments that are designed to look like the rough wood of a tree.
These markers symbolize the fact that the tree has died, its life has been
taken away, just like the life of the person the stone honors.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking, and often most eerie,
monuments mark the graves of children. These images include the images
of disembodied hands from heaven reaching down to pluck flowers from
the earth and small lambs, lost and alone. Cribs and beds are
sometimes seen, holding the images of sleeping children, or are often
empty, symbolizing that these little ones are gone forever. Most
disconcerting of all are the life-size images of the children
themselves. They stare out at the cemetery visitor with lifeless, and
occasionally frightening, eyes.

Gravestones and markers have a myriad of meanings and symbolize
both comfort and grief... but are they all what they appear to be?
Throughout this book so far, I have suggested the idea that cemeteries
and burial grounds can become haunted. But what about the grave
markers that exist within these haunted cemeteries? Do some of these
monuments actually become haunted by the ghosts who are unable to rest
within the bounds of the graveyard?

The annals of ghostlore contain a number of stories about burial
markers that may possibly be more frightening than the tales of the
cemeteries where these stones reside!

This statue decorates the grave of a boy who was
never able to walk in life. His likeness was carved in his wheelchair
and the chair now has broken wheels to show that he has left behind
the cares of life.

Grave markers and simple tombstones can play host to a
surprising number of stories and legends. There are stones across America that
people claim to have been not only cursed, but literally move on their own! Is
the supernatural at work, or the darker devices of man’s own imagination?

This 12-foot tall statue stands on the grave of
St. Louis druggist Herman Luyties, who fell in love with the model for
the design while in Paris. As she refused to marry him, he had her
likeness carved in stone. It stood in the foyer of his home until he
died. His family then had the statue moved to his grave.

There have been many ghostly tales told about
"haunted" tombstones and monuments, including:

- The Flaming Tomb of Josie Arlington in New
Orleans. According to legend her eerie crypt would light up at night
as if on fire. It was also said that a life-sized statue on the steps
outside would come to life.

- The Gravestone of John Rowan in Bardstown,
Kentucky. The stories say that Rowan did not want a gravestone when he
died and as one was placed on his grave anyway, it continues to
mysteriously fall over, even today.

- The grave monument of Jonathan Buck in Bucksport,
Maine is said to be marked with the image of a witch's leg. Legend has
it that Buck was cursed by a witch who promised to return and dance on
his grave.

- In Cleveland, Tennessee, a family that was cursed
with accidents and tragedy is said to have reached out from beyond the
grave to stain the walls of their tomb with blood. The strange stains
have never been explained.

- In Illinois, a community mausoleum was haunted by
the ghosts of those who were buried there. Even after the tomb was
destroyed, their voices could be heard in the night and witnesses have
reported cold chills on the site.

- The Black Angel that stands on the grave of the Feldevert
family in Iowa City is said to be cursed. Stories have been told that say the
statue causes strange deaths, accidents and more. A number of ghosts have been
reported around the statue at night.

- The likeness of Inez Clarke, who rests in Graceland
Cemetery in Chicago, is said to leave the glass box the statue is enclosed in
and wander about the cemetery during thunderstorms. Legend has it the little
girl was killed when struck by lightning at a family picnic.

(Left) This photo shows the exact
likeness of Julia Petta (also known as the "Italian Bride").
After she died during childbirth in 1921, her mother began to have
strange dreams in which Julia was still alive. She began to seek an
exhumation order for her daughter's grave. Finally, after six years,
the grave was opened and Julia's body was found to be perfectly
preserved! She looked exactly as she had when she died, even though
her casket had deteriorated badly. Her ghost has been seen near her
gravestone ever since.

There are many other stories of haunted grave markers as well,
including one of the most famous... the story of Black Aggie, which
can be found on the website by following this link. Black
Aggie